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X-WR-CALNAME:Tazewell County Genealogical & Historical Society
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://tcghs.org
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Tazewell County Genealogical & Historical Society
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TZID:America/Chicago
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DTSTART:20260308T080000
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DTSTART:20261101T070000
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260619T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260619T100000
DTSTAMP:20261018T221527
CREATED:20250601T191924Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260610T200342Z
UID:8658-1781863200-1781863200@tcghs.org
SUMMARY:Juneteenth 2026 - 200th Anniversary of the Shipman Family Kidnapping and Rescue
DESCRIPTION:This year’s Tazewell County Juneteenth Event will feature the dedication of a new stone monument & a new Illinois State Historical Marker at Woodrow Cemetery—celebrating the 200th Anniversary of the Shipman Family Kidnapping and Rescue (aka The Three Horseman of Tazewell County). \nTwo hundred years ago\, in the fall of 1826\, David Shipman\, a Revolutionary War veteran\, emancipated his slaves and brought them to Tazewell County to live in peace. The formerly enslaved Moses Shipman family settled in Circleville\, a community that no longer exists. \nIn the middle of a night in May 1827\, bounty hunters from Virginia kidnapped the family and began taking them down the Illinois River to be sold at a slave auction in St. Louis.  Moses broke free and ran back to alert his neighbors. \nWithout hesitation\, Johnson Sommers\, Samuel Woodrow\, and Nathan Dillon mounted horses and headed to St. Louis.  On May 8\, the three horsemen intercepted the kidnappers on the docks in St. Louis.  Nathan Dillon signed an affidavit that the family members were all free. \nLegal action took almost three years to confirm the freedom of the kidnapped family\, with Tazewell County citizens called to testify.  On April 13\, 1830\, with all legal actions exhausted\, the family was finally freed and returned to Tazewell County. \nThe dedication will be held at 10 am on June 19 at Woodrow Cemetery in rural Tazewell County. \n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\nTazewell County Genealogical & Historical Society (TCGHS) president\, John Ackerman\, will  make opening remarks followed by Susan Rynerson of TCGHS discussing the Shipman saga. The honorable Judge Kate Gorman\, chief circuit judge of the 10th Judicial Circuit Court of Illinois the  will make brief remarks & introduce Illinois Supreme Court justice Lisa Holder White and retired Judge David Mason\, Missouri 22nd Circuit Court\, St. Louis who will make the keynote adress. The dedication will be closed by Reverend Marvin Hightower\, President of the Peoria Chapter of the NAACP. \nThis event is being sponsored by the Tazewell County Genealogical & Historical Society\, the Illinois State Historical Society\, Woodrow family descendants\, and Cincinatti Township. \nPublic is welcome to attend the dedication.  Here is a map you can use for directions to the dedication.
URL:https://tcghs.org/event/juneteenth-2026-celebration/
LOCATION:Woodrow Cemetery\, Coers Lane\, South Pekin\, IL\, 61554\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://tcghs.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Juneteenth-Logo.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="TCGHS":MAILTO:tcghs@tcghs.org
GEO:40.48894;-89.61948
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Woodrow Cemetery Coers Lane South Pekin IL 61554 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=Coers Lane:geo:-89.61948,40.48894
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